Remote work in Medellín: a coworking and neighborhood guide to Laureles

Why is Medellín a good city for remote work?

Medellín works well for remote workers for three practical reasons: mild weather all year, a fixed time zone (UTC-5, no daylight saving) that overlaps with most of the North American workday, and walkable residential neighborhoods like Laureles, where coffee, groceries, meals and exercise are all a short walk away.

Climate and altitude

The city sits at an average altitude of 1,495 meters (about 4,900 feet), according to Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana, and its average temperature hovers around 22-24 °C (72-75 °F) year-round. That is why locals call it the City of Eternal Spring. For laptop workers, it means one simple thing: you never have to rebuild your routine around the seasons, and light clothes plus a thin layer for the evening usually cover it.

Time zone overlap with your team

Colombia runs on UTC-5 all year and has not used daylight saving time since 1993, so the gap with your team shifts when they change their clocks. Use this table to plan meetings:

Clock-change dates differ between the US and Europe, so double-check them in your calendar. If you work with Europe, expect early starts: a 3 p.m. call in Berlin in winter is 9 a.m. in Medellín.

Can you legally work remotely from Colombia?

It depends on your nationality and how long you plan to stay. Travelers from visa-exempt countries get an entry permit of up to 90 days, extendable up to 180 days per calendar year. To base yourself here longer while working for foreign employers, Colombia offers a digital nomad visa (a type V, or visitor, visa), valid for up to two years.

What the digital nomad visa requires

• Who it is for: holders of passports from countries exempt from short-stay visas who work remotely, online, exclusively for foreign companies (as employees or freelancers), or who are launching a digital business.
• Validity: up to two years.
• Income: proof of monthly income equal to three Colombian legal minimum wages, backed by bank statements from the last three months.
• Health insurance with coverage in Colombia.
• Restriction: you cannot work for people or companies based in Colombia.

Requirements can change, so always check the official visa types page of Colombia's Foreign Ministry before applying. This guide is for orientation only and is not legal advice.

Why choose Laureles as your remote work base?

Laureles is a strong base because it is residential, leafy and walkable, with parks, cafés and restaurants a few blocks apart and good connections to the rest of Medellín. It has the calm pace that focused work needs, while La 70 and El Poblado are close enough when you want a night out.

A neighborhood made for walking

Laureles belongs to the Laureles-Estadio district and is known for its curving street plan, with roads locally called circulares and transversales, plus tree-lined blocks and neighborhood parks that double as meeting points. Universidad Pontificia Bolivariana has its Laureles campus here, which adds a student buzz. Segundo Parque de Laureles makes a great home base: bakeries, restaurants and places for a break are all within walking distance.

Getting around after work

Metro Line B has stations near the neighborhood, such as Estadio on Carrera 70 and Floresta on Carrera 80, which link you to downtown. El Poblado and Provenza are about 20 minutes from Segundo Parque de Laureles. For routes, transit cards and airport transfers, read our guide to getting around Medellín from Laureles.

Coworking, café or your room: where to work in Laureles?

The best spot depends on the kind of work you do. Video calls and long focus blocks call for a fixed, quiet space, like a coworking space or your own room; emails, reading and casual meetings work fine in a café. On a stay of several weeks, the sweet spot is mixing all three throughout the week.

When your hotel has its own coworking space, all three options sit in the same building, which matters a lot when you stay for weeks. Still deciding between a hotel and a rental? Our comparison of aparthotel vs hotel vs apartment in Medellín helps you choose based on how you work.

Working from Living by Armóniko, across from Segundo Parque de Laureles

Living by Armóniko is a boutique hotel with 14 apartment-style suites, high-speed WiFi throughout the building, a coworking space for guests, and Botswana Café Bar on the second floor, which doubles as a place to work or meet during the day. Every suite has an equipped kitchen and a private balcony.

Breakfast and coffee without leaving the building

À la carte breakfast at Botswana Café Bar is included in your stay and served until 10 a.m., with specialty coffee and all-day brunch. When you close the laptop, the same building has Rocoto Rooftop on the fifth floor (Peruvian food and signature cocktails), 123 Wok on the first floor (contemporary Asian food) and Torrealta, a craft brewery on the second floor. Guests get 10% off the full menu at 123 Wok and Torrealta (at Torrealta, from 3 p.m.).

Which suite works best as a home office

• Deluxe Suite (62 m², King bed): separate living room, full kitchen and a Nespresso machine; the best choice for keeping your workspace apart from where you sleep.
• Superior Suite (32 m²): a comfortable space to work or unwind and balconies overlooking Segundo Parque de Laureles.
• Comfort Suite (27 m²): natural light all day, designed for couples and extended stays.
• Standard Suite (20 m²): the most compact and functional, for anyone who spends most of the day in the coworking space or out in the city.

Rates for longer stays are not published online; they are quoted based on suite, dates and length of stay. See what an extended stay includes on our extended stay hotel in Medellín page and message us on WhatsApp with your dates.

How should you plan a remote work week in Medellín?

Build your week around two anchors: the hours you share with your team and the moments when the city is at its best. Keep mornings for deep work, batch meetings into the overlap with your home time zone, and save a few afternoons plus the weekend for exploring Medellín and the rest of Antioquia.

1. Before 10 a.m.: breakfast and a first focus block. If your team is in Europe, this is your meeting window.
2. Midday: cook in your suite or change scenery at a nearby partner, like La Hojaldrería, a 1-minute walk away (10% off all-day brunch), or Le Brunch at Mall Baratza, 7 minutes away (15% off all-day brunch).
3. Movement break: Samaar Yoga, a 5-minute walk away, offers exclusive guest rates on yoga, hot yoga and pilates. Current perks are listed on our hotel partners page.
4. Afternoon: calls with North America, which shares most of your workday.
5. Weekend: unplug on one of the 16 tours arranged by the front desk, from Guatapé to a coffee farm experience.

What should you check before you arrive?

Before you fly, check your electronics, your backup connection and your arrival logistics. Colombia uses 110-120 V at 60 Hz with type A and B plugs, the same as the United States and Canada, so travelers from Europe or the UK will need an adapter. If your job depends on video calls, always have a plan B for getting online.

• Voltage: check the label on each charger; if it says 100-240 V, a plug adapter is all you need.
• Backup connection: a local SIM or eSIM with data you can hotspot from your phone during a critical call.
• A headset with a microphone for working in shared spaces.
• An umbrella: in Colombia's Andean region, the rainiest seasons are usually April-May and October-November.
• Check-in and check-out times: check-in is at 3 p.m. and check-out at 12 noon; if your flight does not line up, use the luggage storage or request an airport transfer in advance.

Staying a month or longer? Our guide to living in Laureles for a month adds groceries, routines and neighborhood life to this checklist.